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The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

nicholaswindsorhoward.com

211–220 of 440 posts

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#211
post #161

Ios is just as bad, still need about a minute to figure out how to add a reminder if i can't use siri. icons still dont make sense (serious travesty, my compass icon is actually safari, while my compass app has a cross icon). And the sheer stupidity of flatness everywhere makes it slow to read the interface.

> icons still dont make sense Couldn't agree more, My last IOS device was the Iphone 3G, so I kind of lost touch with IOS. Recently found myself trying to help my mom print an email on her Ipad, and felt quiet disarmed as none of those icons made any sense at all! Ended up clicking icons to see what happens, one in particular, was apparently deleting messages, and I have yet to understand what the icon symbol was all…

That's odd, in the latest iOS, all of the options I can see for deleting messages are accessed via the word "Delete"; one of which is on a red background (swipe conversation left). The other two require three steps with clear messaging/iconography: (Edit, select, Delete), or (long-tap message, more..., hit the Trashcan icon or hit "Delete All").

Perhaps it was an older version.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#212
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most of them don't know a thing about computers. It's a magic box with a small selection of shiny buttons on. They use it for passive media consumption. You'd be surprised. Except by "know about computers" you mean they known about interrupts, and cache lines, and filesystem design, and other stuff that are completely inconsequential to using their computers. > Well, they clearly forget by the time they're twenty.…

It's not that they're bad at what they do with computers. It's just what they do with computers is not worth doing.

I've often wondered at what point HN would cross the rubicon from "old people, so bad at tech!" to "young whippersnappers, so bad at tech!"

It seems that this happened somewhat recently.

Suffice it to say - just like you felt when you were younger - most thoughts that boil down to "damn kids these days!" are almost certainly not true.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#213
post #182
post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I think it's an US - European thing. The parent comment mentioned Germany, you mentioned France, another comment mentioned Italy, I'm from Romania and we also use white notepads.

As another datapoint, I don't think I've ever seen a yellow one here in Brazil (other than paper so old that it has turned yellow from age).

Lithuanian there. No yellow pads in sight. White(-ish) all the way.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#214
post #3

It’s not that important a point, but legal pads are a very US phenomena. I’m German and I have never ever seen a yellow pad like that in person. The current notes icon (with white paper) is much more in line with the note pads you would encounter in Germany. Paper people write on to take notes is typically just white. Maybe bound with a spiral on the left or top (and perforated paper to tear off), maybe glued togethe…

For me the old yellow colour implies that the notes taken within the app are for easy disposal and will be poorly organised - just like how yellow paper is used primarily for quick throw-away notes and scribbles in reality (at least here in the UK). The Notes app is far better than that, the white it uses now implies a more permanent organised feel which better reflects the app. The texts I store within it are import…

Great point, but I've had the opposite reaction — to me the old one says that someone's else junk is already in there (the scribbles) while the white blank page is a blank canvas, in the good sense of the term. It's inviting. What great thoughts might I write in there?

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#215
post #28

This article doesn't make any sense. The use of metaphors worked when people didn't know what a computer was, and the only way to make its UI make sense was to mimic real-world objects. Now, this is no longer necessary. It's been 40 years. While I agree that new macOS icons aren't great (see the Game Center icon), the old ones were silly. I'm 35 and I have probably seen an actual contact book only once when I was lit…

> I hate how Safari hides the full address in the address bar, for instance.

This can be changed on MacOS from Safari -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Show full website address.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#216
post #128
post #28

This article doesn't make any sense. The use of metaphors worked when people didn't know what a computer was, and the only way to make its UI make sense was to mimic real-world objects. Now, this is no longer necessary. It's been 40 years. While I agree that new macOS icons aren't great (see the Game Center icon), the old ones were silly. I'm 35 and I have probably seen an actual contact book only once when I was lit…

> I hate how Safari hides the full address in the address bar, for instance. You have no idea how much this change makes the URL field palatable for regular Joe. Previously: hhtpttpp://faceblablah.com/techmumbo/jumbo?not=h4ck3r. Now: facebooook.com.ru => "wow this really is not Facebook!". I basically witnessed such behaviour change first hand. > Or, how they removed scrollbars and force people to actually scroll eve…

> No need to scroll, you can check just by resting fingers on the touchpad (except in Chrome) and look at the scrollbars.

Never knew this, really handy, thanks! Any idea if it is possible on a magic mouse? or only the trackpads?

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#218
post #128
post #28

This article doesn't make any sense. The use of metaphors worked when people didn't know what a computer was, and the only way to make its UI make sense was to mimic real-world objects. Now, this is no longer necessary. It's been 40 years. While I agree that new macOS icons aren't great (see the Game Center icon), the old ones were silly. I'm 35 and I have probably seen an actual contact book only once when I was lit…

> I hate how Safari hides the full address in the address bar, for instance. You have no idea how much this change makes the URL field palatable for regular Joe. Previously: hhtpttpp://faceblablah.com/techmumbo/jumbo?not=h4ck3r. Now: facebooook.com.ru => "wow this really is not Facebook!". I basically witnessed such behaviour change first hand. > Or, how they removed scrollbars and force people to actually scroll eve…

Also, Safari don't hide scrollbars when you don't have a touchpad.

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>leopard print box design looks like packaging for some kinky underwear It's funny witnessing how certain people that a couple years ago considered Apple designs the pinnacle of design and far ahead of everything else using the same arguments today that Windows fans used.

I think you're making a big assumption about who is saying what.

[deleted]

Re: The Apple Goes Mushy Part I: OS X's Interface Decline

#220
post #121

I'm writing this post form an late 2015 Mac Book Retina (not air, not pro). The mac book stands on a book, a small fan points to it's back so that I can write this. Without this the machine would get to hot, which results into a slower user interaction (think: write a letter, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, letter appears on the screen). On the left hand side a huge adapter (99EUR) is plugged in. It enables me…

There is something wrong with your machine (or you are doing more than it is spec'd for). It is potentially still within the standard warranty period, so bring it back. If you have been experiencing these issues and have intentionally let it run past the warranty date, that's on you.
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